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Saturday, August 29, 2009

I won the worst mom in the world award. Again. I committed to going to Minnesota before I realized the trip fell over the first and second days of school. Had I known that, I would've declined. But noooo, despite the fact that I was counting down to the start of school, it totally slipped my mind. I usually make the kids a "back-to-school" cookie for their first day. I knew I'd be gone, so I stayed up late baking it the night before so they'd have their after-school treat. Unfortunately, it did little to assuage the overwhelming guilt I felt.

As it was, I got the kids off for their first day of school and headed to the airport. Later, I called them from Minneapolis to hear all about their first days of school. I talked to five of the kids who told me about their days. Those conversations were productive.

"How was your first day?"

"Boring."

"Do you have friends in your classes?"

"Yeah."

"That's great! Who did you sit with at lunch?"

"People."

"Who?"

"You don't know them."

"Do you think you'll like your teachers?"

"I dunno."

"Good talking to you. Put your brother on the line."

Austin, the sixth and last kid got on the phone. "How was your first day of HIGH SCHOOL?" I asked, giddy to hear all about his day.

"Oh, you want to talk to Savannah," my smart-mouthed son said.

"Very funny. How was it?" I asked again.

"Huh? Are you talking to me?" he asked in his usual smart-aleck fashion.

"Can you just tell me about your day? Is that so hard?" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Oh, you want to talk to Savannah? Here Savannah," Austin called to his sister as he tossed the phone across the room to her. I heard Savannah yell, "Austin! Just talk to Mom, you dork!" right before the line went dead. Click. I made a mental note to smack Austin upside the head when I got home from Minnesota.

The pizza-sized chocolate chip cookie

Here are my kids who just keeping older every year!

9th grade

8th grade

5th grade

3rd grade

kindergarten

missing her brothers and sisters and wishing she could go to school too

Love the blog. I LOVE the cookie idea too! That was great :) I got the same kind of response from my daughter too. She started Kindergarten and I was told she slept on the floor, played outside and didnt eat her lunch. That was her whole day lol. Poor kid.~ Jessica

Man, I am getting closer to Medicare ! Of course my sis is 52, (almost 53) & she has the 9 & 5 year olds. Sheesh, she has hot flashes at the PTA meetings. She'll have to buy Depends for herself and sanitary napkins for her oldest at the same time ! I better stop, she'll kill me.

I asked my son how his very 1st day in the school district's very 1st HS was & got a very plain fine. Later I find out all kinds of neat things..like they didn't have the bell system going yet, so the principal blew a whistle instead. And the lunch acct computers weren't set up yet, so that was all written down by hand.

I swear God could walk into the cafeteria & I'd not hear about it from my son!

Bummer on the first day of school -- but at least you got to see them off! You have GOT to share how you make that cookie. I have always wanted to make giant cookies but can't figure it out properly. Nicely done.

And you have such cute kids :) No preschool for Brooklyn though? You're *SO* close to having everyone out of the house for at least part of the day. What would you do with yourself?

I have a 3rd-grade daughter and a kindergartener son, too. (The other 4 are missing, though!)

Ditto on the cookie--please share your giant-cookie-baking secrets! It looks SO good. Especially since I'm having an only-fruits-and-veggies day today. I have to punish myself that way every now and then when I'm a complete pig for 3 days in a row.

Your kids' responses remind me of what my grandson said yesterday. He and his sister spent time in a crafts class while Gramps and I were in church. Afterwards, making conversation with the FIVE YEAR OLD, I asked how many of the kids there did the crafts. His answer? All of them! (His older sister said 8 or 9, she couldn't really remember!) Too funny!

You know what I keep learning from you moms? The guilt, oh the guilt that comes with missing the big little things in your kids lives. And as a hopefully soon mom to be I am already afraid of the balance. Thanks for sharing!

This is kinda school related, maybe a SSO question. What books do your boys recommend for someone that is 6, but already reading at a 2nd-3rd grade reading level (he just got Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but I am still concerned it's not age appropriate)